Pakistan, July 7 -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has launched a $500 million financing programme with Pakistan to boost women's financial inclusion. This move is part of the global Women Entrepreneurs Finance Code (WE Finance Code), led by the World Bank. The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) officially joined the initiative on Monday, aiming to bridge the gender finance gap.

So far, 20 banks and financial institutions have joined the SBP-led programme. They will help women access bank loans, ATMs, and other financial services. ADB's Christine Engstrom highlighted that this initiative is not just personal-it's a core strategy for economic growth. She said the programme targets over 2 million women in Pakistan.

Studies show that reducing ...